The Owl
by lovely ravenclaw
Summary: One shot for a contest at The Owlery


**The Owl**

With a pop, Ginny Weasley apparated into the one bedroom apartment she kept on the upper west side of London, and proceeded to scream bloody murder.

"Ginny calm down it's just me," Hermione said, stepping out of the shadows of Ginny's kitchen. Ginny's screams subsided as she recognized the bushy-haired silhouette of Hermione.

"Merlin, Hermione, you scared me to death. I saw greenish smoke coming from the kitchen and thought-well I don't know what I thought, but it certainly wasn't anything good," Ginny said, collapsing onto her couch and lighting up the room with a flick of her wand. "Wait a minute, you weren't actually trying to cook in there were you? Don't you remember that kidney pie disaster a couple Christmases ago?" Ginny cracked a tiny smile, which looked foreign on her usually somber, hardened face.

"Listen little-Miss-best-auror-the-Ministry's-ever-seen-but-can't-think-of-anything-but-scream-upon-finding-an-intruder-in-my-kitchen, I am here to help you out. I have it on good authority that you've been skipping meals in order to sit in your office and pour over hundreds of false leads," Hermione said bossily, her hands on her hips looking ever so slightly like a very young Molly Weasley. Ginny was not amused by the resemblance.

"It's that damn husband of yours again, isn't it?" Ginny said annoyed.

"Yes, he is quite the doting brother too, you know," Hermione said with a smile.

"Oh I am quite aware of that, he was always sneaking around the Hogwarts corridors trying to catch me snogging some poor bloke. Thank goodness Harry finally came around so I could snog in public with Ron's permission," Ginny said quietly. She had been meaning to make a joke, but her voice cracked and her eyes clouded over again.

"Ginny," Hermione whispered tentatively, taking a seat on the couch next to Ginny.

"No Hermione, not you too. Just spare me the lecture. Merlin knows I've heard it enough from Ron. Not to mention every other auror in the office," Ginny said, tears slipping down the sides of her cheeks.

"But Ginny, you have to face the truth-" Hermione said, reaching out to pat Ginny's arm. The younger girl pulled away sharply, glaring at Hermione.

"He's not dead, Hermione. I can't accept that. He's out there somewhere and I've got to find him," Ginny retorted adamantly.

"Ginny, Harry is dead," Hermione said firmly, staring back into Ginny's blue eyes.

"No, he's not. He's been taken. Someone has him. Right now they are probably torturing him while you sit here and pretend like he's gone. You're forgetting about him Hermione. You were one of his best friends, how can you do this to him?" Ginny protested.

"Ginny, I'm not forgetting about him. I'll **never **forget about him. And neither will Ron. But you can move on with your life. Accepting his death does not mean forgetting him Ginny. Harry would want you to move on," Hermione said softly.

"No he wouldn't! He'd want me to find him. He's waiting for me," Ginny said weakly.

"Ginny, it's futile. The aurors searched everywhere after the final battle. If Harry was alive, they would have found him. No one's seen him since he walked in to Godric's Hollow four years ago. Four years Ginny!" Hermione insisted, though she knew it was in vain.

"There have been sightings Hermione. I've got a pile on my desk," Ginny tried to protest.

"Oh yes, I'm sure you do. Sightings about as valid as the sightings of the twelve-headed baby born to aliens in "The Quibbler." You're turning into Luna, Ginny," Hermione said with a smile. Ginny tried to smile back, remembering their slightly crazy friend.

"I know he's out there Hermione. I can't give up on him. He never would have given up on me. Or you or Ron either," Ginny sighed. Hermione sighed back.

"Alright, I'll tell Ron I tried. But please Ginny, take care of yourself. If you don't feel like cooking some nights, come to the Burrow. Your Mum misses you. We all do," Hermione said quietly. Ginny only nodded politely, though both girls knew Ginny would not be going home any time soon. Hermione stood up, smoothing her skirt, and Ginny followed her to the door.

Suddenly there was a loud crash from the kitchen. Both girls' eyes widened in surprise.

"Is that the-erm-_dinner_ you made me?" Ginny questioned as they headed for the kitchen. The window above the kitchen sink was shattered and a bedraggled, black owl lay in the wreckage. Ginny hurried forward and knelt by the unfamiliar owl carefully so as not to cut herself on the glass. She pulled the scroll from his leg. The parchment was as dirty and old as the owl looked. Hermione hung back, not wanting to intrude on Ginny's private message, however strange it looked. A moment later, Ginny let out a gasp and fainted dead away among the shards of glass. Shocked, Hermione rushed forward and wrenched the letter from Ginny's strong grasp. Hermione's eyes widened as she took in the torn, frayed edges of the parchment, the dirty fingerprints along the edges, and the crimson stains that could only be blood. And sprawling across the tattered piece of parchment was an unmistakably familiar handwriting:

Ginny-

Help me.

-Harry


End file.
